Nonstretch garment



Patented Sept. 2 1947.

TED STATES PATENT OF No Drawing. Application January 33,1945,

' Serial No. 571,211

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-243) This invention relates to wearing apparel of high dimensional stability, and relates more particularly to non-stretching, non-shrinking wearing apparel formed of fabrics made of or containing regenerated celluloseyarns and threads having a basis of a stretched and saponified organic acid ester of cellulose.

.An object of this invention is the provision of improved garments which possess high dimensional stability.

Another object of this invention is the production, of .outer garments and under garments which resist any change in dimensions as by shrinking or stretching even after repeated laundering or other cleansing operations.

A further object of this invention is the provision of dimensionally stable garments wherein the seams and other sewn or stitched portions thereof will retain a neat and unwrinkled appearance.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following detailed description.

It has been long observed that garments and other forms of apparel prepared from fabrics of various materials, for example, cotton, undergo some degree of shrinkage in the body of the garment and in the seams when subjected to laundering or like cleansing operations. In order to overcome the obvious disadvantages of such shrinkage, the garments must either be cut and sewn in such a manner that after laundering and its usual shrinking effect, they will be the size ultimately desired, or else the fabric employed must be so treated prior to cutting that any subsequent shrinkage will be' kept at a minimum. Normally, the latter expedient is employed. Cutting garments oversize to allow for shrinkage is quite impractical. The degree of shrinkage in the direction of the warp may vary considerably from that in the direction of the weft, and these directional variations in shrinkage may differ markedly in fabrics of difierent construction. While preshrunk fabrics appear to offer the most practical means of eliminating the disadvantages 'of garment shrinkage, such preliminary treatment of the fabrics, though adding to the cost, ofiers no guarantee that they will retain their original dimensions permanently. There is usually some residual shrinkage which remains. This residual shrinkage, coupled with the fact that the threads employed for sewing also tend to shrink to a substantial degree ultimately produces at least along the seams of the garments an uneven, wrinkled and buckled condition which is quite unsatisfactory.

I have now discovered that the aforementioned and other disadvantages may be, entirely elimi nated if the fabrics of which said garments are formed and the threads'employed for sewing'the fabrics of which said garments are formed comprise dimensionally stable regenerated cellulose textile materials having a. basis of stretched and saponified organic acid ester of cellulose yarns. These regenerated cellulose materials which are prepared by stretching and saponifying processes, are remarkable for their dimensional stability, neither shrinking nor stretching in service notwithstanding severe and repeated laundering, wide variations in temperature conditions, or as a result of thecontinuous or intermittent application of a substantial pull or tension on the garments during service. Furthermore, since the undesirable effects of shrinking are eliminated, the seams of my novel garments retain their original smooth and even appearance permanently.

The filaments from which the stretched and saponified regenerated cellulose threads and fabrics are prepared may be formed by extruding a solution of cellulose acetate or other organic ester of cellulose in a suitable volatile solvent through an orifice into an evaporative medium a in the dry method of spinning, or into a coagulating medium as in the wet method of spinning. A plurality of filaments may be extruded through several orifices and associated to form a yarn or thread. The yarns or threads obtained may be stretched simultaneously with their formation, or subsequent to their formation after first being softened by means of a suitable softening medium such as, for example, solvent vapors, steam, hot water or even dry heat. The softened yams may be stretched 300, 500, 1000 or even 2000% or more of their original length during the stretching operation. Stretching greatly increases the tenacity of the yarns while lowering the elongation, and this increase in tenacity is retained and frequently increased substantially when the stretched organic ester of cellulose yarns are saponified so that a'regenerated cellulose yarn is obtained.

The saponification of the organic ester of cellulose yams may be carried out employing any employing aqueous solutions 01 sodium hydroxide, for example,. as the saponiiying agent. said solutlonsmaybe- 01? a concentration of 0.1 to 5% by weight and saponiflcation may be effected at temperatures 01' 30 to 90 C. in30' to 180 minutes. 'Usually, when employing aqueous saponiiying solutions comprising sodium hydroxide, a salt such as sodium chloride or sodium acetate is advantageously added to the saponifying baths.

Other organic esters of cellulose which may be stretched and saponified to yield regenerated cellulose yarns of high dimensional stability, are,

I for example, cellulose propi'onate, cellulose butyrate-and mixed esters such as cellulose acetatepropionate, and cellulose acetatehutyrate.

The regenerated cellulose yarns which are ob-" tained on saponification may then be woven into fabrics of any desired construction. A suitable:

number of. the regenerated cellulose filaments may be plied or associated together in any desired 'result of laundering nor do they stretch appre- -where any shrinkage as a result of Washing, or

"fashion and twisted to form sewing threads.

stretching as a result of use, impairs the fit and utility of the. garment, orthopedic garmentsiand devices where permanent dimensional stability of the i'abric portion. is exceedingly important to eiiect the desired support, and like garments in which the absolute permanence of the original dimensions measures the valueand servlceability of the garment.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and'that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y 1

1. Garments of high dimensional stability and non-buckling seams resistant to shrinking or stretching as a result of laundering or hard service, comprising fabrics of yarns of regenerated cellulose sewn with regenerated cellulose threads, said regenerated cellulose yarns and threadsrbeing prepared by stretchingand saponifying yarns I havinga basis of an organic ester of cellulose. 2. Garments of high dimensional stability and.

non-buckling seams resistant to shrinking -or stretching as a result of laundering or hard serv-'- ice, comprising fabrics of yarns of regenerated cellulose sewn with regenerated cellulose threads,

said regenerated cellulose yarns and threads being prepared by stretching and saponifying yarns having a basis of cellulose acetate.

- DREYFUS. v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 542,773 Great Britain Jan. 27, 1942" 

